The effect of near‐peer tutoring on medical students' performance in anatomical and physiological sciences

Healthcare professional schools across the world are implementing near‐peer tutoring (NPT) programs owing to numerous benefits to both tutors and tutees. This study determined whether higher attendance at NPT sessions led to improvements in course grades for high and low performing students. Fourth‐year medical students used the USMLE Step 1 question format to tutor first‐year medical students during the second half of the Structure and Function (SF) module, i.e., SF2. Attendance was recorded and students were accordingly divided into three groups: high, moderate, and low‐no attendance. Students’ performances in SF1 and SF2 were compared using Student's t‐test. Differences among the three groups were analyzed using ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc test (P< 0.05). Students who earned 70–79% (C) in SF1 were further examined on the basis of their attendance rate and performance in SF2. Those who attended three or more sessions completed a survey evaluating the NPT program. Course grades were significantly higher in SF2 than SF1 for all students, regardless of attendance rate. However, students who received a C grade in SF1 and had high or moderate attendance improved significantly in their SF2 course grade. Most students agreed that the NPT program was valuable and they evaluated the tutors highly. They also agreed that NPT prepared them for course exams and Step 1, but did not reduce anxiety and stress about Step 1. The positive effect of the NPT program resulted in its expansion to include all first‐year modules. Clin. Anat. 30:922–928, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

“MMIF+PBL”教学法在神经外科专科教学中的应用

专科研究生的培养是医学教育中不可或缺的部分,传统的教学模式学生主动性较差,知识传授无法跟上知识更新的速度。PBL教学法(problem based learning)以学生为主体、问题为导向、小组讨论为主要形式,老师为引导者,学生主动进行知识探索,培养自身"归纳"与"查新"能力。多模态影像融合技术将影像信息进行数字化综合处理,并进行可视化,广泛用于临床实践中。两者相结合打破传统教材章节框架的束缚,以具体患者诊疗过程为线索,将枯燥的课本知识变为生动的小组讨论,将抽象的解剖学知识进行三维可视化,并以规范化的形式进行课程实施,理论联系实际,提高了教学效率,并消除时间与场地的限制,使教学效率最大化。本文比较了传统教育模式与新的教育模式,在培养研究生的"归纳"与"查新"能力方面,新的教学模式效率更高,更适合现代神经外科研究生教育。     

中医药院校附院神经外科实习医生带教探讨

目的探讨中医药院校附院神经外科实习医生的带教。方法对实习医生注重入科教育、定期小讲课、定期教学查房、临床病例及危重病例讨论、临床提问、出科理论考试及技能考试相结合等措施。结果建立完整的带教管理体系对树立实习生良好的医疗服务理念,掌握神经外科常见疾病的诊治、了解学科国内外相关新进展,培养实习医生临床思维能力、实践能力等有良好的效果。结论只有严格要求,才能提高神经外科实习医生临床实习质量。     

Development and Evaluation of a Computer-Animated Tutor for Vocabulary and Language Learning in Children with Autism

Using our theoretical framework of multimodal processing, we developed and evaluated a computer-animated tutor, Baldi, to teach vocabulary and grammar for children with autism. Baldi was implemented in a Language Wizard/Player, which allows easy creation and presentation of a language lesson involving the association of pictures and spoken words. The lesson plan includes both the identification of pictures and the production of spoken words. In Experiment 1, eight children were given initial assessment tests, tutorials, and reassessment tests 30 days following mastery of the vocabulary items. All of the students learned a significant number of new words and grammar. A second within-subject design with six children followed a multiple baseline design and documented that the program was responsible for the learning and generalization of new words. The research indicates that children with autism are capable of learning new language within an automated program centered around a computer-animated agent, multimedia, and active participation and can transfer and use the language in a natural, untrained environment.     

Complex Interactions Between Tutor Performance,Tutorial Group Productivity and the Effectiveness of PBL Units as Perceived by Students

Aim: Tutor performance and tutorial group productivity interact with each other in a complex manner. The aim of this study was to investigate how tutor performance, tutorial group productivity and the effectiveness of a PBL unit interact with each other. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) Does the tutor performance score differ across different levels of group productivity? (2) Does the group productivity score differ across different levels of tutor performance? and (3) Is the learning effectiveness score of a PBL unit related to tutor performance and group productivity? Method: Students rated the tutor performance, the tutorial group productivity and the effectiveness of the PBL unit. In total 287 unique tutors were involved and were categorized as having a relatively low, average or relatively high score on tutor performance. This was also done for the group productivity score. For each combination, average effectiveness score were computed. Furthermore, partial correlation coefficients were computed. Results: The results demonstrated that the average tutor performance score was higher if the productivity score was higher (hypothesis 1). The results also demonstrated that the average productivity score was higher if the tutor performance score was higher (hypothesis 2). Furthermore it was found that the effectiveness score was higher if the productivity score was higher. The effectiveness score was also higher if the tutor score was higher. The results furthermore demonstrated that the correlation coefficient between tutor performance and effectiveness of the PBL unit is 0.01 (n.s.) if the correlation between the two variables was controlled for group productivity (was 0.36). In addition, the correlation coefficient between group productivity and effectiveness became 0.39 if the correlation between these two variables was controlled for tutor performance (was 0.51) (hypothesis 3). Conclusion: It is concluded that tutor performance differs across different levels of group productivity and that the group productivity score differs across different levels of tutor performance. In addition, it is concluded that both group productivity and the tutor’s performance have an impact on the effectiveness of a PBL unit, although the correlation between group productivity and effectiveness is higher than the correlation between tutor performance and effectiveness. This finding illustrates the importance of the group’s productivity in PBL and the tutor’s importance and implies that schools should put more efforts in improving tutorial group functioning as well as in improving a tutor’s performance.     

Reciprocal peer teaching: students teaching students in the gross anatomy laboratory

Three common instructional strategies used to teach gross anatomy are lecture, discovery or inquiry-based learning, and cooperative learning. One form of cooperative learning, called reciprocal peer teaching (RPT), illustrates circumstances where students alternate roles as teacher and student. By assuming the responsibility of teaching their peers, students not only improve their understanding of course content, but also develop communication skills, teamwork, leadership, confidence and respect for peers that are vital to developing professionalism early in their medical careers. Traditionally in our Anatomy department, students dissect the entire body using a standard dissection manual. More non-traditionally, however, we have increased cooperative learning in the dissection laboratory by involving students in a series of supplementary RPT activities. During these exercises, 10% of the class practiced their demonstration with course instructors until the students felt prepared to demonstrate the exercise to their classmates. We designed one peer demonstration emphasizing three to six teaching objectives for most of the 40 dissection units. This resulted in a compendium of peer demonstrations for implementation throughout the course. The multitude of diverse exercises permitted each student many opportunities to teach their peers. A debriefing questionnaire was administered at the end of the course demonstrating that 100% of students agreed the RPT experience increased their understanding of the topics they taught and 97% agreed it increased their retention of information they taught to their peers. In addition, 92% agreed that RPT improved their communication skills, which can be applied beyond anatomy to their careers as future physicians.     

A Win-Win Peer Mentoring and Tutoring Program: A Collaborative Model

The Big Buddies' Program is a unique peer mentoring and tutoring project that was able to simultaneously address major service effectiveness issues at three local community organizations. Through a collaborative effort, these agencies designed this innovative approach for preventing school dropout, increasing youth's interest in volunteerism, and expanding real-world learning experiences for university undergraduate students in social work. The article outlines in detail the program set-up, selection of participants, schedule and location of buddy time, content of mentor/tutor training, coordination of the program, use of materials with plans, and the program evaluation design. Future implications of the model are provided along with guidelines for duplicating this innovative collaborative approach in other communities.     

PBL教学法在中医骨伤科学生实习中的应用

目的:探索PBL教学模式在中医骨伤科实习带教中的应用。方法:将中医骨伤科46名实习生分为观察组24名,对照组22名,观察组给予PBL实习带教模式教学,对照组给予传统模式教学,通过测定理论测试、技能操作对2组实习生进行考核。结果:观察组理论知识、实践操作以及总平均分均高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:PBL教学法适合骨伤科实习带教,有利于培养学生自主学习的能力及提高解决实际问题的能力。     

Effects of peer‐assisted training during the neurology clerkship: a randomized controlled study

Objective: To determine the efficacy of peer‐assisted clinical skills training for students during their neurology clerkship. Methods: Students (n = 122) were randomized to get clinical skills training from either student (peer) instructors (experimental group) or from experienced clinical staff (control group). The remaining schedule during the clerkship did not differ between both groups. Primary endpoint was students’ practical skills and knowledge tested at the end of the course by a written test and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Secondary endpoints were evaluation of the practical training and self‐estimated gain in theoretical and practical competence. Results: In the written test, the peer‐trained group (n = 66) scored 69.5 ± 10.2 (95% CI 67–72) points of 100 and the postgraduates‐trained group (n = 56) 66.7 ± 11.4 (95% CI 63.6–69.8) (P = 0.15). In the OSCE the peer‐trained group scored 93.7 ± 6.3 (95% CI 92.1 to 95.2) points of 100 and the postgraduates‐trained group 92 ± 5.1 (95% CI 90.6 to 93.4) (P = 0.11). In the evaluation and self‐assessment items, there was no significant difference between the two groups except for the postgraduates’ higher competence (P = 0.004). Conclusion: Peer‐trained students pass written exam and OSCE as efficient as postgraduates‐trained students. Self‐assessed learning success is equally rated in both groups.